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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Still at it

It's been a while since I've updated you all on my running. For a while I was posting about once or twice a week and that felt like too much. I mean, this is not a fitness blog; it's a blog where I complain about my kids. Okay, my kids and husband.

Anyways, I'm still running about 3-4 times a week and I'm up to about a 25 minute stretch of flat out running, and I can do about two miles. So, I'm not terribly fast, but I'm running and feeling good about it.

I pulled a muscle in my lower back and took a week off. I was really glad that when I got back to running, I didn't miss a beat. Right back at 25 minutes, though my pace was a little slower. However, last night I did something and now my IT band is killing me. I'm going to find some stretches to help with that.

My friend Nancy hit the nail on the head though when she told me I probably need to start doing some strength training, so I think I'm going to sign up for a pilates class twice a week. This is a little annoying because I don't like exercising (I don't even like running), and now I'll be doing cardio 3 times a week and strength training twice a week. That's a lot of exercise for someone who's preferred activity is sitting on the couch reading a book or watching The Wire.

So, the running is going. I don't know, though, it's getting tougher as the weather is getting hotter and more humid. I will be running and sweating and just kind of feel like stopping. Like, last night when my IT band starting hurting, it was hard for me to determine if I wanted to stop because of the pain or if I wanted to stop because I just did not feel like running anymore because I'm tired of exerting myself.

Having a running partner helps keep me going, so I run with someone whenever I can. Lucky for me, I have three friends who live in close proximity that are good and dedicated runners, and will even slow up their pace to keep with me, and offer me words of encouragement and support to keep me moving. I also have a few spots where I have what I call good running karma - places I enjoy running and where I tend to have my best runs, so if I'm having a hard time even getting on my running shoes, I'll go a good karma spot.

I also try to remind myself how good I feel when I finish a run. I don't feel tired and worn out. I feel energized and accomplished. I also sleep much better and wake much easier and am less grumpy during the day. I enjoy the time without a child hanging off my butt. There are lots of rewards to running.

What's shaking (literally) with you folks? Running? Shredding? Tell me about your efforts. I'm not the only sweaty blogger out here, am I?

10 comments:

No, not the only sweaty blogger. :) I'm considerably older (as well as heavier and more out of shape) than you so I walk. More than I care to. Beloved likes to walk outside, so I let him drag me out several days a week, but I prefer getting on the treadmill - I don't have to worry about keeping up/slowing him down, so I actually end up walking faster and putting more effort into it. I'm going to a sporting goods store this afternoon and buy small hand weights so I can get more of an upper body workout on my treadmill walks. It's a start, anyway.

You know what I'm doing. Chugging along right beside you in spirit. I did my two nights, should probably take the night off, but I think I will save my night off for tomorrow instead. 3 miles last night, 10 minutes walking, 35 minutes running.

I love pilates. If I were to actually get off my butt and exercise, it would be to do pilates. I have to admit that I keep trying to start your Couch to 5K thing, and I keep doing two weeks, and then something happens that makes me have to stop. It's very frustrating.

I need to get back into it but since I moved its harder - the gym is far from the house and so are the parks and walking the neighborhood - well, let's just say the many rebel flags keep me indoors! LOL

The only thing shaking here seems to be my belly! I accidentally read your post on exercise updates when I was looking for the no willpower against warm cookie support group...you are awesome to keep getting right back at it!

Way to go! Sounds like you have figured out some tricks to keep yourself motivated. I hate running and I need someone to boss me around to keep me motivated, so I do martial arts - kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I can be exhausted and in a terrible mood and if I can get myself to a class I always feel SO much better for several hours afterward. SWEATING IS GOOD!!!

Good for you!! Especially when you don't like it. I am trying to get back into the running routine that didn't really get going in the first place. My new job, despite it's built-in gym, is going to make me fat. I sit a lot more, there are always cookies, and I don't actually have TIME to use the gym. Also I was sick, and I keep pulling muscles playing slo-pitch.

So I went for a run today for the first time in 2 weeks. It felt good, but I'm struggling.

Hey, just seeing this. Pilates is great for developing core strength, but many people, especially women, especially people relatively new to running, are weak in the muscles surrounding the hips (which causes IT band pain and knee pain). If you're interested, drop me a line on FB and I can talk you through some quick exercises that have served me well for years (and they only require a Theraband). - Suzanne